Respect is no small word. And respect for an individual’s life and dignity is no small matter.

And it’s the apparent lack of respect for Helen Ann Reed’s life that leaves us appalled.

The 46-year-old Fayette woman was killed Sunday when she was struck by a car while walking home along Mississippi 553.

The obscenity in her death lies in the fact that she apparently was hit not once, but twice, with witnesses seeing at least one car run over the injured woman in the middle of the road.

And that vehicle, along with the first that struck Reed, never stopped.

Witnesses who had stopped to help Reed believe she was still alive before she was hit by a second car.

The drivers of both vehicles sped away in a blaze of disrespect – for life and the law.

We’re appalled that such a heartless and cruel crime has occurred in our area, and we’re shocked by the brutal disrespect for life and dignity displayed by those unidentified drivers.

Now, more than 48 hours after Helen Ann Reed’s death, no one has stepped forward to admit to the crimes.

That would take responsibility … a characteristic that goes hand-in-hand with respect.